Material-feeding apparatus



May 27, 1930- s. E. BoYNToN MATERIAL FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 30. 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ma'y 27, 1930. s. E. BoYN'roN MATERIAL `FEEDING APBARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nv. 50. 1927 1| l l l l l l 1.1

May 27, 1930, s. E.' BoYNToN MATERIAL FEEDING APPARATUS s sheets-sheet v s Filed Nov. 50, 1927 IAAK y Patented May f PATE p STANLEY EDWARDIBOYNTON; or oA'KPARK, ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR "r.o,wEs'rEP.N ELEounie COMPANY i YORK n l Application Ifiled `I {ow'rember Y' .This i invention relates lto ,material` feeding fapparatusyand more kpartic'zularly .toappaf ratus for feedinglumb D ing machines. y j y 5 The primar-y object ofthis invention is to provide n a simple, 'durablef and efficiently. operable means forffeeding parts to "a mate- "rialworking means.

Inaccordance w1 1o .theinventiom one embodiment thereof com-iy prisesalumber feedinggapparatus includingr an endless conveyor means associatedwitha p sawing vmachine to feed or 'advance lumber upon a'movable shelfand into properposi- .15 tion against adjustable stops v,Upon the completion of a cuttingacti'ony: of -thefsaw an operated valve efectsthe vdi's'lengagement of the stops' and the retraction ofthe shelf to insure the deposition Sofia severedpart upon 2o' a continuously moving' belt. Means is` provided for disposingofscrap pieces and a hydraulic elevating device" is employed to facili-'1 tatethe feeding of lumber yto yconveyor roll'- ers .at proper predetermined "intervals To arrest the `advancenixe'ntofthe material by the conveyor before it reaches'the.stops,-it is' only necessary;` to exert abnormal pressure: `upon the material and thereby render the conveyor functionally inoperative: 4

:ec VThe objects'of this invent tion when considered in connection with thev accompanying .drawingsywhe'rein e Fig. 1,y is a perspectiveview of.: a lumber Y 3L'. feeding apparatus representingone embodiment ofthe inventionfshown; in association i with a` conventional type of sawing machine ;l

erv andthe liketo saw/ th` the 'general features of l ion willbe more apparent from the following detailed descripandthe assoy MATEnrAL-PEEDING APPARATUS 30, i527; f serialir Nh. zaeeze.,

i e rige aan' enlarged pianfview bf the'mOv-f able shelf shown in Fig.`2, a portion ofthe air operated lshifting mechanism being shown Y in section to 'disclosevparts otherwise -hiddenf teli i, i

55- f ASUPIQO'ITS the movable shelfbeing shown in if showing of the oper-fV and a vportion ofthe frame memberY which l.dotted line toclarify the ating mechanism t v p Fig. 7k is a vfragmentary transverse sectional view of the feeding apparatus taken on the Vline 7%7ofFig. 3;

controlling the number elevating means,'the` anddash'lines; Y Y x Fig. k9fis` a frontelevational view ofthe roller conveying means being shownl in dot Y Y v i 65 1NconPonA'rnnoP'NEW YQRK,VN.Y., A CORPORATION OPN-EW( j f Fig..'8 is a-plan viewfof the mechanism forfk apparatusv disclosed inV Fig. 8, the 'positive` i .meansbeingshown diagramm'atically p Fig. .10 is ahorizontal diagrammajtic'al*sec-V mechanismfor operating the lumber elevating" tional View taken centrally of the air control; 1

valve disclosed in'v FigsrS; and 9, and

"F ig. 11 is a fragmentary sectional: ViewA l i takenon the line 11,-'11 of Fig. tions of the arrows. n y. .Referring now tothe drawings wherein likey numerals have beenemployed to udesig` nate'similar parts throughout the various fig ures, it will be observed that an endless conveyor means denoted generally by the'v nu'- 3 inthe direcciation with the upper surface of a table 21of a .n conventional lumber l sawing machine dev connection it is to be understood that the sawing 'machine 22l is representative of onev of many; types of woodworking machines to notedgenerally bythe numeral 22. In this' `Y Y Y so f meraL 2O (Figs. 2 and 3) vis shown in assowhich the improved feeding apparatus vinvvv cluding theendless conveyormeans 20 maybe 9o type of sawing machine disclosed should .iniV n no way limit the scope of the inventionwhichV ',ie'adily" applied and'therefore the particular lresides primarily in the feeding appar'atusas-f" A sociated therew1th.f n v v .y p The endlessgconveyor means 20 includes a conveyorbelt `2li which 'extends betweenanv idlerl pulley 25'5and y Y animi/26 (Fig; 5).` fThese pulleys v25 and26- are so positioned that :the:` upper reacho'f the; Y belt 24 is positioned slightly above thefupper ardriving pulleyor mech-y ,e

" wijSuirfaceof .the niacliinetable 2.1 andthe lovver4 v -reachfof the belt 24 and the fpulleys25 and `are positionedin 'a recess-'19 inthey Ina-y Y f chine table' 21.V y Thusit Will-be clearthat if the V5 l'the arrows (Figs. 2"and3) ,ja pieoeoffV lumber i resting-thereon Will'beadvanced in the same f direction. VV'The driving pulleyor mechanismV 28;' which is Vclosed fat. .eachl end' by means `of 29 andBOare rotateble'fandlsiidable'upon an driveshift31.V Withinthe eynndricai'mem- .bef- '28and slidable upon the-shaft 31"is' ya oo11ar33, and interposed between this collar l 34.V 'Interposed betvveenithecollar33"and.a

' 3 4. andSfwvith 'their frespeot've associated arts 'during `the rotationfof the 'shaft l311,' a'nd l Spring. .37 will servempfoduce weeen fricv Ythe 'coil spring will' not` vbe!'suiiic'ient to move i' thefbeltandh'ence thegconveyor mechanism lwill Vv,be "rendered 'funotionlly 1 inoperative.y Thus, if, a pieceofwork'fisf'being"advanced l toward-'circulars sawsfoff thev sawing finaohine122and itisdesired to Tar-rest 'the ad.-v

alorfabnorrnal pressure to renderet'he adn' 'glancing lforce vofftluegconveyorfrneans ineff driving'v pful1ey26n1ayjbe o 4eratively icon ,"nectedwithpa driveV shaft 541 Figs, 3 and 7 Y l* y' ofY-,a'ohit'chf:mechanism142 Ywhich ff N .(na'ybe eonvenientlyfoperated by manipulatl' Y ing ajknob 43 at theorwardextremity'of a Vshifter.bar 44. v vTheshaft41lisgeared.to-an- C othenshaft :46 which is continuously driven l -1frornan1ain drive shaftf47""means ofpla A' @el '4S-1 l '.5 ff Y' i'- 1 Lrnainldrive y'Shaft 47 kwhich isf rotated Vby,ineen of a motor-49: onlotfher -suitable.#ac-` uatingfmeansfforms the mainrdrive'shaft ly. `rotatable about themainjdrive shaft-147f beit ein driven-iniihedirecnon indicateebyf l Y K ,s y l44se'cured tothe niaindrive slua'ftft.` Thus the savvs pare constantly/driven by the inotoi" W n Y VV n Vinoven'ientof thesleeveniay-be'accom heads 29 land()threaded therein. g; The pe ripheryof ,the 'cylindrical meniberf-28ffricf* i n K Y Y `1]? ).Whigh ontiiolsthe operation of'a'clutch VVVtionally.engages.the vbelt 24 and thel'heads;

.145.V` The-clutch driving 'lneinberfis'driven.

collar Bfjwhichiskeyed tothefshaft'lis a'A yjj'oil;springV 317,*V `and positioned between the Y Collar 35e-nd the threaded head 29 is a fric a tjonf Vdisk B8; i FromY VthejQ-.foregoving Y descrip# tion,-:Oitlllydrif`-1f1g@Pulley 26 it will Ybeep-A 'Y parent Y, thatf thefor'oefof-V the coilj Vspring 'f BZ v fc'auses'the Vfriojtional`e1igagenient" of th'e'dislls'Y Y f ofV .theseV cani'sare' designed for engage'ment.lf` Y pl Y W'itharoller to eff'ectthe"swingingoffaV thus the i'conve'yor belt24fis jrnovedin-the direction indicated'.v The; action of:v the] coil tional engagement Ytov ,Cause the advancement of, .aV piece of lumber 'resting fupon .the con# veyor belt if additionalpressure applied vto the belt i :24 the force exerted by rnediately after ea'ohf of thesa'ws 39 hasswe'p iN .Y vanceninetf of the Vpi'ecetoi linnbenfitf is onlyVY neoessary Yfo'rthe ,operator Vtoapply addition:

@longitudinallysjlidable j Withinf a housing (i6 1 y v Y Y at oneextreinityandahousing 67 atftheop'-v fetlve.4 The shaft. 3l whichV supports the `housing continuously urges thefshait "651 vmeans of suitable Apipingwith"the "air Vvalve .3) against tbelaotion 'of the'k spring 68.k v `'rlliis ydesiredlengthfoithe ypieceswhich"areto be journalied invbfacketsfin-iii which 6g-f tend from a sleeve 142 mounted on and frees Pinion gearsl43-l43Kare'fkeyed to the *shaft-sf 14C-140 yand mesh With Vlarge spur gear 49y and inay be rotatedfabout. the shaftV 47 j by Inovingthe, sl'ee-vefl42 thereabout ll Thisv f isyhedl by pressing uponafoot lever V5,1Y (Fig lfand from the Shaftlfie bm @bienl and Spr0ket1-- f `gear mechanism, designated generally. by the T1. Y'numeral 146.2The clutchfis ofawell known!" I typefandv upon its"actuationv by the; leven-51* iseiective to cause the sleeve 142" vtofbero-i i' Y tated one-half ,of a revolution andv then difs-`` Y. i' j engagef VAny type" ofclutoh Capable l of iper-:5 g5.; forming this operation; may be usedin this Y .1' capacity fand since -itdoes not form/Ya of this invention5l`noparticular embediinevnt`-u :thereof has beendisclosedkV OjopositelyXliSV posed cams 53 (Fig-.VY'Xare clamped'in posi-- 9o tionupon the drive shaft' 47 andthe s-tlrfaces,v

lever arin, thejuppjerfjend"of,which.engages aplunger 58 (Fig:3);offanuairvalve59. It will be observedfthat the-engaffement o the. @ams 5e with the roller :55 `i 'ies vpiece tijm across 'thefen'd 'oli' the table A21,'orlrinfoth'e Words innnediatelvaftera -piecefof lunlbe has been severed. fThjeair valve k59-Which K connected with a source. of pressuresupply to the right (Figi/5 fand-the 'clianiberpre e sentedv Within thelhousi'ng-Gf, 11s Connected by@ v; Y a .,115 Y 59. Thu/git iviilbe Vclear"thatu'ponthe oper?4 ation of thefvaiveifair bevadrnittejil` intothe chamber of thelhouslngb' an-dwill l, cause the sheft to be nrove'd'totheleftf-Figk1k 12o` 1 shifting of the shaft-'65 is-.suiiicientV tofinove.V f

which is cennecte'dwith a piston rod 75. This V1fi,

l,which has asuitableiplpe :connection with,

severed.' A'handle 7 O (Figs. 2-and employedtorotate the shaft inorder to bring either ofthe stopsl 62 and 63 into their proper position. f j v v yThe shelf 61 is horizontally supportedy at vthe-extremity of a pair'fof pivoted arms71` and 72 (Figs. 4 and' 6)A and the arm72-1s pro,

vided with an oppositel-y dispos'edfportionV 73 piston lrod 7 5 operates. withinfa .housing 76 i' the air' valve 59.v Fromtheforegoing itwill be yclenrthat whenfthe air yvalve 59ris operatecl',fthe piston rod, 75fwill.beurgedtothe right (Fig: 6)'1-against the faction.' offa coil 'spring .7.7 and the shelf-161i willbe moved to the left (-Fig-6) and'partially-nnder the part ofthe framework shown in dot and dash lines. The :retraction of the l shelf f 61"V takes -place simultaneously with the shiftingvof the'stops 62 and 63, just described,1and Apermits `r a vsevered piece of lumber ltoffalll freely upon a'v continuously,travelingbelt 79. u

' v Thisbelt .79 carries; the severed v.parts to the left (Figs. 1 vand 2)'and a se'co'nd'cone` veyor belt is; employed to receive scrap pieces Aof lumber which are directed thereto Y. by means of-a chute 7 8' (Figspl and 2)'*posi-Y tioned adjacent the saws 39 which is designed toreceive the severed scrap parts. This belt 8O conveys the scrap parts toa Isuitable receivf ing' truck 81 and itis to be understood'that both of .the belts k7 9 vand ,8OA are continuously driven by means of an electric motor82. vThe speed ,ofthe motor82 may be controlledinv @any suitabley manner to conform with the l speed with which itr is ldesiredfto advance the severed vpieces of lumber.

A." plurality of roller conveyors-84 serveto` receive a piece of lumber prior 'to its associationwith the conveyor belt 24` andfin order to facilitate thel feeding ofeach piece of lumber' to the yrollers 84, a. lumber elevating means denoted generally by the numeral 85 is em# ployed. This elevating means 85 includes a 1 pluralityof rollers 86 for supporting a stack of lumber 87 as clearlyfshown in Fig.vr `1.`

Y These rollers 86 are suitably supported at'the Vupper extremity ofaivertica'lshaft or piston rod 89 indicated diagrammatically in Figj9,

which'eXtends downwardly within aconvenf tional hydraulic cylinder k90. :The lower eX- tremity ofthe hydraulic cylinder 90 is con@ nectedwith the lower extremity of a tank 91y by means of suitable piping 92. ,This tank 91 retainsa supply of oil .or other rslylitableV material and the upper extremity thereof is connected by means of piping 94 with a source of compressed air (not shown) through a Vvalve 96 and likewisev the upper extremityjof the hydraulic cylinder 90' is connected with'- this supply of compressedy air yb'ym'eans of j piping'95r whichA also connectswith theyalve 5 96.` yThis valve 96 (Figs. 8, 9and `10) which is connected with` the compressed Vair source by means of a pipe 97',operatesto control ,theV I admission of air into the tank 91 and when 'j Y Y vhandle 98. ofthe valve96 assumes the position f g v I f to the left as shown in the drawing, the con-` nectien between the source of supply of com-y pressed air andthe `upperend of the tank 91vk will' be effected. This pernflitsy theintroduction of compressed yair into thetank 91 again` and causes-'the oil contained therein. to be forced through a valve 99 and thence around a by-pass 100 yprovided with aneedle valvev f 101, and(v from this ypoint the oil is'c'onveyedl Vinto the .lower end of the hydrauliccylinder vv9() toeffect the-raising oft-hefpiston rod 89.A When therodj'89 has'been raised to-thedesired` height-and is readyv to be lowered, the

speed withwhich the stack of lumberl 87 is `to befraised Imay be convenientlycontrolled by merely Y' manipulating thev needle valve 1014 The speed with which the lumber is elevated` .will be dependent upon the speed with which j the operator'completes the severing lofeach piece oflmnber, and thus the speed of eleva-vl tion may beso controlled that upon the'com'- pletion of the severing. of each'piece off lum-y ber, the stack 87 will have been raised-sum- Vciently tobring. the uppermost piece of lume.A berinto a position parallel with the upper ysurfacesof` the rollers 84 and it will only'beVv necessary. Yfor the operator to slide-this upper-.2

most(` piece of lumberupon lthe rollers.k Y o ByY means ,of th apparatus described, the

feeding of lumber or othery articles of a like natureis greatly. facilitated and the amount l v i. 'i of manual labor is reduced tok afminimum.`

In the operation of the apparatus a stackof lumber may be placed upon the rollers 86" when they occupy their lowermost'pos'ition, and by adjusting the needle valve 101,;the speed with whichthe stack raises may be kefe fectively controlled. By opening the'valv'e '99'V and turning the handle 98 tothe left asV shown in Fig. 8, thestack of lumber will be caused to Vslowly rise and simultaneously the uppermostpiece of lumber may be manually associated with the. rollers 84. This piece l is thenl carriedl intoassociationwith the conveyorV belt-24 which causesiit'to be advanced; into engagement-with one of the stops 62 andil 63 'andto rest upon the uppersurface of the I l shelf 61. @Should ,they operator desire-tostop the advancement of the piece of'lumberbe'- forefit reaches the stops 62 or 68,1,it will onlybe necessary to apply additionall orvab-.ff

normal pressure upon the piece Vandconsequently ,upon the belt .24. The convenient f arrangement ffor `arrestinlgr"the movement of' tlie'conveyor beitfenablesan operator tostop i i the advancementoi material instantly in .the

Y *event thattlieioperators handsfare: moved into dangerous (proximity with: Ythe cutting 1saws.f L1kew1se, VIVwhen vthe operator wishes i Y Y tojsawfo a small Yendportion of the advanc- ,-jingpieceofflumberjsuoli-for example as an.

Y i endjporti en- Vcontaini'ngl anY undesirable knot,: the adr'fanoeinent Loft the -luinberzmay'be ar-V i rested ais-the desired finterva'lto permit this Y smallT "endr portion to be removed. Immedi-v 7 atelysubsequenttoftheengagement of `the Peoflumber withthe. stopsfthe oot'pedal or-V lever 5 1fisl actuated vand this o'auses the Vsaws"'f t`o"rotateabont the l shaftM3-"and conteinporaneously"with the completion of ltbe i severingfaction of .the sawgftlrestops 62 and` f `63 are disengaged froi'i'i-theextrfeniity oi? the -piece of lumber-anditheshelfl is retracted :vso as to kpositively Vins ureft'lie deposition ofe l the severed partnpon'the'continuously mov# ned by ,gravity info rheuma 17e which ai- .reotsjsaid pieces to the belt'SOfa'nd-thepropere f severedpieces Vare, advanced by vth'elbelt,

' After'tbe. entire piece of lumber 'has'VA Y been severed into' several.`pz i`rts,ltl1e stack willhavebeenraised suiiciently-to Vpresent a second :piece of lumberlin a convenient -position forassociation with the rollersfSl and Y l tbejoperationjustdescribed isfagain re- Y peated.V From theforegoing it will be clear Y 1 that Vthis ffeeding 'apparatus presents ya'ver'v convenient'andexpeditiously operable means: I for continuously .feeding lumber to a'sawing Otheftype of WQOdW-Orkihe ma- -g--cbine.* Y Y `;5Alth ougli Vthe invention .has herein Vbeen described in.. connection with :apparatus 'for'V machine* or 1 -feedingflumber'to asawingmachine7 vit is tojbe understood tbat'fthe inventionfis ca-V f pable of many;-other.applioationsjand'should 1 beflirnitedonly bythesoope of thejappended v v wood-working apparatus, afsa'wing p table, a' pair of'rotarysaws alternatelymov-`V p able into operative association withtmaterial to v`be sawed,V an endless conveyor: positioned ,'Qin'the tablefor ladvancing material to'the .Y

" saws. means for arresting the"advancementy i my name this 16th 1927*;

fber'relative to the saws." Y A 3, In a "wood-working `apparatus/,ia work support,*a pairof rotary saws alternately il 'l movable into` operative yassociation'with they of eaheftof'thesaws te move thestopmemg i ff work support, a rictionally drivenfconveyorQ-j positioned l,adjacent thefwork supporty forj advancingtheworkfzto the sawsya'st'op menril ber f normally positioned to arrest tliejg- Vance of the work,'^fluid actuated means for;

fluid actuated jmeansfff 4 4. Infa A.wo(5d-.working supportj'm'eans" orjadvancing thework to?` the saws, aV stop m'embe r normally .positioned`v yareaiatus; 'Wk support, Va pair o1"- rotary sawsalternatelji Y movable'into operative relationtoY 'thework t d a moving the stop' member away fromtlie saws,{ j if. T and means.'responsive-tofthefoperatipn.Qi. all* eitherof the saws for admijtting`fluidtotheV to arrest theadvance oi" the work, meansfor` Y` j yieldingly maintaining" the stop member 5in i normal@ position7V fluid actu'atedf means forl moving the stop memberrelative to thesaws,

either ofthe saws for controlling the [operation of the Vfluid actuated Sineans.VV

In witness whereof, I herenntosubscribe .t

.dw of, November? .Af

j STANLEY EDWARD BorNToijj I f 

